Movie Reviews

A Great Cartoon Butchered by Classic Media

Joe Cool | Bronx, NY United States | 03/20/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Did I miss something that the other reviewers saw? Or did I get a defective DVD set? This set would have been alot better if Classic Media kept Underdog as the original TV series. Each Underdog episode was initially shown as a serial with cliff-hangers. In between each cliffhanger was a short like Tennesse Tuxedo. What Classic Media did was to run each episode in one complete uninterrupted showing. This takes away from the original series' charm. The "Cliffhanger episodes" are banished into the features section which is a shame because the cliffhangers are classics in and among themselves. The features would have been better if they interviewed some of the actors such as Don Adams or even some of the people involved with the production such as Howard Stern's father, Ben. Instead you get co-creator Joe Harris' creepy account of a never before seen Underdog episode written for two girls."

This collection of episodes holds up well but is incomplete

T. Tai | San Francisco, CA USA | 02/14/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the time, I cringe when I see my old favorite shows that I haven't seen in years. After watching these DVDs, I was pleasantly surprised that Underdog still brings a smile to my heart. These DVDs were packaged both separately and together as this box set. They are NOT the complete series, which ran for a lengthy 120 episodes over 7 seasons. There really isn't a single clunker in this small selection of episodes whose plots range from the standard evil-invention-of-the-week (The Vacuum Gun) to the moral tale about standing up to evil (The Witch of Picayoon, my favorite episode) to alien slapstick (Zot). If anything, I was disappointed because each disc was over so quickly and left me wanting more. On each disc, there are teasers to "Episodes available on VHS" but these either never existed or are out of print."

IT'S HIP-HIP-HIP AND AWAY HE GOES!

Jonathan Cohen | Brookline, MA United States | 12/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Underdog" was one of my all-time favorite cartoons back in the day, and this DVD trio has a nice sampler of the canine crusader's finest. From the three-eyed aliens on Planet "ZOT" to the metal-munching cloud-men in "Silver Thieves" and, of course, regular bad guys Simon Bar-Sinister and Riff Raff, nothing ever beats Underdog: "I am the hero who never fails/I cannot be bothered with those details!" Kids who appreciate a tongue-in-cheek superhero will love "Underdog", and adults will go for the Jay Ward-style humor and animation (with that pleasantly-crude look courtesy of the Mexican "Bullwinkle" artists). Eight "Underdog" episodes- shown as full 15-minute segments, not the original four-part format- are paired with mini-adventures and the oft-forgotten supporting shorts from the unsung Total TV stable. Of these, I loved both "Tennessee Tuxedo"- with Don Adams as the plucky penguin and Larry Storch as absent-minded professor P.J. Whoopee, plus quick-and-witty science/history lessons to boot- and "Go Go Gophers", a neat little Western spoof with the two "brave braves", Ruffled Feathers (he's the one who talks in whoops) and Running Board, as the un-PC Indian heroes. (Was this the inspiration for "F Troop?") Presented in surprisingly-good color, with a great cast of New York-accented voices including Adams, Storch, Wally Cox (of course) and Allen Swift (check out his "Jimmy Durante" voice on King ZOT!), and featuring the most rousing theme song in cartoon history, you'll learn why I've had an Underdog magnet on my fridge for 20 years.This is classic guilty-pleasure stuff for big and little kids alike: "It's a bird- it's a plane- it's a frog! (A frog?)/ Not plane, not bird, nor even frog- it's just little ol' me (crashes into airplane)...Underdog!""

Sadly incomplete, another worthless "best of"

K. Woods | Henderson, NV | 07/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The title of the product gives the impression that the contents will be the complete series of Underdog. Afterall, is that not what the collector would want? However, all in all, it is about 11 episodes, which is sadly disappointing.

There is no continuity between the episodes, no obvious reason for the grouping, nothing but a quick assembly and package job in hopes of suckering an old fan into buying just a piece of what he really wants.

As has been stated here, there are none of the "cliffhanger" episodes, which is both a plus and a minus. The little cartoons were most enjoyable, and the handful we are given is a sad sampling and a sorry excuse. However, on the other hand, it is nice to be able to watch an entire episode of Underdog without being interrupted.

But again, beware of this product, as it is nothing more than a tease. I suggest not buying it now, but rather waiting until the whole series is released on DVD, to save having to pay for the same thing twice."